Nursing home fined $100,000 for death

By JOHN JACKSON

On the same day a federal court was holding a bankruptcy hearing for its parent company, Petaluma’s Pleasant Care Convalescent was issued a Class AA citation by the California Department of Public Health. A Class AA citation is the most severe allowed by state law.

The nursing home, owned by Pleasant Care Corp. of La Canada, was fined $100,000 and ordered to make changes in the way it monitors and provides dental care for its residents.

The citation came following the death of a 76-year-old female patient with Alzheimer’s disease on March 12. According to the CDPH, the resident was transferred to an acute care hospital at the request of a family member for care of swelling on the right side of her neck that was diagnosed at the acute hospital as caused by an infection resulting from varying levels of decayed teeth. She died eight days later.

The CDPH investigation revealed that the woman was not given a dental exam because “the facility thought the resident had dentures.”While not admitting guilt in the woman’s death, Pleasant Care submitted, and has implemented, a “plan of correction” to ensure all residents will be assisted in obtaining routine and 24-hour emergency dental care. The plan also puts into place policies and procedures to prevent dental neglect.

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